Federal flood relief sought for Crescent Lake

A Crescent Lake area community group said it expects federal funds repair flood damage caused by the April 29-30 rains that swept away the earthen dam that kept the lake from drying up.

Crescent Lake resident Tom Carter looks over the lake that is reduced to a swampy mud flat in May after the lake’s earthen dam was breached during April’s heavy rain.
(Photo:
Ben Twingley/btwingley@pnj.com
)

The most likely source of federal flood relief funds discussed publicly by Pensacola area government officials is the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but another option surfaced Friday.

Residents in the Crescent Lake area are relieved at the prospect of federal emergency funds to fix the earthen dam that was swept away by the April 29-30 torrential rains.

“Escambia County is working for us on this. They have applied with the National Resources Conservation Service,” said Ed Marciniak, secretary-treasurer of the Crescent Lake Preservation Association, a homeowners group.

Escambia County spokesman Bill Pearson confirmed federal help is being sought by his agency. A spokeswoman with the NRCS said the agency does have a recovering relief program to help victims of floods. It’s called the Emergency Watershed Program, for which public and private landowners may be eligible.

The NRCS “may pay up to 75 percent of the construction cost of emergency services,” according to the agency’s website. The remaining 25 percent must come from local sources.

Marciniak said it’s unclear how long it may take to obtain the federal funds. He said Escambia County officials “said it would move rather quickly. Of course, in Washington, D.C., lingo you know what that means.”

Under NRCS guidelines, dam restoration seems to make the defunct Lake Crescent barrier eligible. The agency’s funding can be applied to “jeopardized water control structures,” among other projects.

The Crescent Lake dam, which reached 40 feet at its highest point, broke during the April rain, releasing a rush of water to the south through a chain of creeks and canals.

The formerly 10-foot depths have been emptied enough to expose a muddy bottom for hundreds of yards in some areas of the 75-acre basin.

Further, Crescent Lake acts as a water retention pond for drainage from nearby roads and overflows from smaller ponds in other neighborhoods.